Don't Look Back
by ajfankeith
Summary: A new face appears in Emmerdale village and Aaron is in for a shock!
1. Chapter 1

Don't Look Back – Chapter 1

_-O-_

_DISCLAIMER: I am not connected to Emmerdale and its characters, which belong to ITV_

_I thought I was finished writing about Aaron and Jackson, but Aarson-mania is hard to shake off! So, after a bit of a break, here is another story..._

_-O-_

Bar West was heaving that night. Aaron and Jackson had decided to visit on the spur of the moment, but Aaron, for one, was regretting the decision. The music was loud and he and his boyfriend were having trouble trying to talk to each other above the din. To make matters worse, two of Jackson's friends, Sol and Joey, had muscled in on their get-together. Aaron had been annoyed, approximately two years previously; when Sol and Joey had gate-crashed Jackson's birthday bash and, consequently, he had stormed off in a huff that night. He did not particularly like Jackson's pals, but he tried to tolerate them for his boyfriend's sake.

"We're going to a private club later," Sol announced and as he smiled; being a black guy, his white teeth showed up prominently, "why don't you come?"

"A private club?" Jackson queried, "Isn't it just 'members only'?"

"Yeah," replied Sol, "but we can get you in as our guests...what do you say?"

"What do you think, Aaron?" Jackson looked at his boyfriend.

"I hope it's quieter than this place!" Aaron grimaced, "I can't hear myself think!"

The four of them headed off in the direction of the club, which was only a few streets away from Bar West. The July night was warm and clear and Aaron was relieved to be away from the noisy bar. As they approached an alleyway between two tall buildings, Sol and Joey turned into it and the other two followed them. Sol walked up to an unmarked door and knocked.

"This is a funny place!" Aaron said.

Before anyone could answer him, a tall, stocky man opened the door and, on recognising Sol, allowed them access. Inside, they found a small room with a counter and a till, manned by a young, attractive blond guy who was wearing a skimpy, tight t-shirt and even tighter shorts!

Sol and Joey produced cards and handed them to the young man, "There you go, Stewie, I've brought some friends with me as guests," Sol said.

"Twenty quid a piece for temporary membership!" Stewie announced.

"Oh, come off it, Stewie!" Sol looked annoyed, "You know as well as I do that you owe me a favour!"

Stewie looked at Aaron and Jackson, who were both a little bemused by what was going on, "All right! But they'll have to pay next time! Don't let the boss know I've let them in without paying!"

"What was all that about?" Jackson asked Sol as they left the counter.

"Stewie only got this job because I put in a good word for him with the boss; who's a mate of mine. He'd still be on the dole if it wasn't for me!"

"I see!" Jackson said, raising his eyebrows.

The four of them passed through another doorway into a large room with flashing lights and techno-music playing. A group of about thirty men, of all ages, were sitting around a central podium, where a young guy was gyrating to the music whilst hanging on to a pole. He was wearing nothing but a very brief thong which left little to the imagination. Jackson was almost lost for words; as the young man looked a lot like Aaron! He was not identical by any means, but the similarity was striking. Jackson could not take his eyes off this arresting sight!

"What the...?" Aaron obviously had no idea what to expect and was even more surprised when the dancer jumped off the podium and wandered around the audience, many of whom manhandled him as he did his rounds! At the climax of the music, the young performer whipped off his thong leaving him completely naked, to loud claps and cheers from his audience. He then disappeared to be replaced by a muscular, dark-haired hunk in a fireman's outfit.

Jackson, who had now recovered from seeing the young stripper, turned to Aaron, "We don't have to stay here if you don't want to!" He obviously felt that a strip-joint was probably not Aaron's cup of tea!

"I'm not fussed!" Aaron replied in a nonchalant manner, "Do you want to stay?"

"Nah! Not really. I'll tell Sol we're heading off!"

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Later, in their bedroom at the Woolpack, Aaron was just stripping out of his clothes as Jackson reclined on the bed, watching him. Aaron noticed that he was being studied and spoke, "What are you looking at?"

"I was just thinking," Jackson smiled, "did you notice that young guy who was dancing when we went into that club? He looked a lot like you!"

"Get lost!"

"No, I'm serious! There was a definite resemblance! I was imagining you doing what he was doing while I was watching him!"

"Oh yeah; like I'm going to jump up on stage and start pole-dancing! Especially with all those pervy old men feeling me up! Yuk!"

"Yeah," Jackson looked pensive, "I wonder why lads take up that sort of profession?"

"Money, I suppose," Aaron turned serious, "There's so much unemployment around at the moment I guess some lads have to take what they can get!" Aaron climbed into bed beside Jackson and snuggled up to him, "Anyway, I'm, not that desperate that I've got to start doing that!"

"I'm not saying you would!" Jackson defended his statement, "it's just that boy reminded me of you and I had visions of seeing you stripping for me!"

"You've got the makings of a pervy old man yourself!" Aaron chuckled, "Anyway, I haven't got a pole with me!"

"I wouldn't say that!" Jackson wiggled his eyebrows as he fondled Aaron's swelling and impressive weapon, making Aaron gasp excitedly. They kissed, stirring the feelings that they always shared; relaxed and happy together.

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A week later, Chas was sitting at the table in the back room of the Woolpack, enjoying a cup of tea. Diane entered the room with a bundle of letters and handed one to Chas, "This one's for you," Diane smiled, "Neat handwriting, whoever it is."

"Thanks, Diane! You don't see many handwritten letters these days! I wonder who it's from."

"I should open it, if you want to find out!" Diane said, sarcastically. She crossed the room to the kitchen counter to pour herself a cuppa.

Chas opened the envelope and extracted the letter. She studied it quietly and, as she read it, her face turned pale. Diane noticed the look on her face, "Bad news?" she asked.

"Er...no. not really; just a bit of a surprise, that's all!" Chas was obviously staying tight-lipped.

Diane could sense that Chas did not want to talk about the contents of the letter, so she changed the subject, "The leccy bill's arrived. That's enough to wipe the smile off anyone's face!"

After Diane had left the room to start getting the bar ready for opening time, Chas looked at the letter again. Long forgotten feelings welled up inside her and she looked at the name at the foot of the letter for the umpteenth time, "Kindest regards, Eden." That was a name she had not expected to see again!

Just then, Aaron came bounding into the room.

"Hello love, fancy a brew?" Chas asked.

"No ta! I haven't got time! Cain's had to go into town so I've got to go and open up the garage, I'll have a drink when I get there!" Aaron noticed that his mother looked preoccupied, "You OK?"

Chas smiled, thinking about how caring her boy had become; Jackson's influence had done wonders for her lad and she loved the bones of both of them, "Yeah, I'm fine! You'd better get off; you don't want Cain on your back!"

"Tell me about it!" Aaron rolled his eyes and grimaced.

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A few days later, Aaron started to become concerned about Chas. She seemed unusually quiet and pensive and he guessed that something was on her mind. She had also become a little furtive, talking to someone on the phone and then saying that it was nobody! He had an idea that she was up to something, but knew that she would only open up to him if she wanted to. He was in no position to criticize; as he had so often kept secrets from his mother in the past and had shut her out on so many occasions. In any case, she did not appear to be ill so he was not unduly worried. However, he was sure that something was bothering her.

Aaron decided to confide in his lover. He knew that he could tell Jackson anything and it would go no further. So, later on in their room, he let Jackson know about his concerns for his mother's welfare.

"I'm sure she'd tell you if she's in trouble," Jackson sought to soothe Aaron's nerves, "It's probably something and nothing! I know my Mum can sometimes make a mountain out of a molehill; it's what mothers do!"

"Yeah, you're probably right," Aaron took comfort in Jackson's wise words as he always did. He concluded that his mother would, indeed, tell him everything in her own good time. He gave Jackson a peck on the lips; his boyfriend was his rock, as always.

The days passed; Aaron was busy at the garage and Jackson was busy with his building work. As time went on, Aaron almost forgot about his mother's behaviour and put it down to 'women's trouble'. He had often heard that expression, but his knowledge of women could be written on the back of a postage stamp! But then, he concluded, that was nothing to do with him being gay; as most of the straight men he knew did not understand women either!

One afternoon, Aaron was on the forecourt of the garage, when he happened to notice a young man enter the Woolpack. He did not pay much attention to him as there were people coming and going all the time; it was a public house after all! However, the next day, he saw the same lad visit the pub again. Emmerdale was a small village and he knew most of the locals and regulars of the Woolpack, so he concluded that this new face must be either a holidaymaker or a visitor from outside the village.

On the third day after he had first seen the young man, his curiosity was roused when he saw him again. This time, he noticed the visitor heading from the pub towards the bus stop. He was busy and did not keep an eye on the young man and, when he emerged from under the bonnet of the car he was working on, the lad had gone; obviously catching the bus that had arrived a few minutes earlier. This confirmed to him that the stranger was from either Hotten or further afield; and he was intrigued to know why the lad was regularly visiting the Woolpack when he obviously lived elsewhere. He also wondered why the young man was never in the pub in the evening when he arrived home from work. However, he dismissed it, as the stranger's business was his own and nothing to do with him!

A couple of days later, when Aaron had almost forgotten about the mysterious stranger, he arrived home from work to hear voices in the back room; his mother was obviously entertaining someone. He walked through the door and saw Chas sitting next to a young man; the same young man that he had seen coming and going! They both rose to their feet as Aaron entered. Chas looked a little sheepish, as if she had something to hide. Aaron immediately had the impression that he had interrupted something; surely the young man was not his mother's 'toy-boy'? He could not have been any more than eighteen years of age!

"Aaron!" Chas said; the surprise on her face was clear to see, "You haven't met Eden, have you?"

Eden extended his hand to shake Aaron's. As he gripped Eden's hand in his, Aaron looked into Eden's blue eyes and felt as if he was staring into a mirror of his own. It unnerved him a little.

"I'm glad you've finally met," Chas said, "I was going to introduce you before, but I wasn't sure how you'd take it!"

"How do you mean?" Aaron was confused; his mother's words did not make much sense.

Chas swallowed hard, she was almost backing out of making her next announcement, but she decided that it was now or never, "Aaron...Eden is your brother!"


	2. Chapter 2

Don't Look Back – Chapter 2

_-O-_

_DISCLAIMER: I am not connected to Emmerdale and its characters, which belong to ITV_

_-O-_

Shock was not the word for the look on Aaron's face, "What do you mean; brother?"

"Sorry!" Chas realised that the situation was a lot for Aaron to take in, "Eden got in touch with me...it's a long story and I'll explain it all to you..."

Aaron had a face like thunder, "No! You're winding me up! What are you talking about? I don't have a brother!"

Chas was ready to tell the story, but Aaron was having none of it. He stormed out and slammed the door behind him.

"Aaron!" Chas called after him, but she knew that she was wasting her time. She looked at Eden apologetically, "Well, that went down like a bucket of cold sick!"

"I should go," Eden looked mortified, "Maybe it would have been better for me to stay away; out of your life. I don't want to cause trouble between you and Aaron."

"Don't be daft," Chas reassured him, "Aaron's just being Aaron! I knew he'd react like this and, for once, I can't say I blame him! It must have come as a terrible shock!"

"That's what I mean;" Eden looked at Chas steadily, "Aaron didn't know anything about me until just now...that's obvious! My appearance is likely to drive a wedge between you two and I don't want that. I'll just head off back to where I came from."

Chas looked horrified at the suggestion, "Oh no you don't! Listen, love, I'm glad that you found me again and that we've come to terms with things...you're my son; just as Aaron is, I don't want you to go! Give him time, he'll come round!"

"Well, if you're sure. Maybe I should just stay out of the way for a while so that Aaron can get his head around it!"

Chas smiled, she was glad that Eden showed such understanding and was prepared to accommodate Aaron's feelings.

That evening, Jackson arrived home to find Aaron sitting on the bed in their room in the dark. "What are you doing sitting there like that?" he enquired, "You're not ill, are you?"

"No!" Aaron was being non-committal.

Jackson sat next to his boyfriend, "What's wrong, babe?" he gently put an arm around Aaron's shoulders.

"It's my mum!" Aaron said.

"She's not sick, is she?"

"No...unless you count sick in the head!"

"What makes you say that?"

Aaron looked at Jackson's face in the gloom, "She's just gone and informed me that I have a brother!"

"What?"

"You heard!" Aaron spit out his words, "All my life I've had a brother that I never knew existed! How could she keep that a secret, Jackson? What kind of woman does that?"

"Have you spoken to her about it?"

"No...I sort of went off on one!"

"That's my boy!" Jackson chuckled.

"I'm glad you think it's funny!"

"Sorry!" Jackson realised that Aaron was not in a jovial mood, "What's his name, anyway?"

"Eden!" Aaron frowned, "Only my mother could call her son Eden!"

"I think it's quite classy!" Jackson said.

"I might have known you'd take her side!"

"I'm not taking anyone's side!" Jackson sounded a little exasperated, "But I think you should talk to your mum about it. You don't really know the full story, do you?"

"What's to know?" Aaron was not about to back down any time soon, "She's lied to me all my life; why should I be interested in what she's got to say now?"

"That's a bit harsh!" Jackson was trying to get Aaron to talk about the situation.

"She's gone too far this time, end of!" Aaron threw himself down on the bed, so many thoughts racing through his mind as his head hit the pillow.

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The next day was August 4th; Jackson's birthday. Aaron had arranged a meal out at a restaurant in Hotten, although the situation with his mother and unexpected sibling had rather taken the shine off things; but he was still determined to have a good time for Jackson's sake. In fact, the couple ended up having a really nice time, eating delicious food; washed down with beer. Jackson opted for a steak, while Aaron preferred salmon. Jackson purposely avoided talking about Eden, as he did not want to spoil their evening and he knew that Aaron had gone to a lot of trouble to treat him to a posh night out. Aaron could still be a hot-head and as stubborn as a mule, but that was one of the reasons why he loved him. It made him who he was and Jackson would not wish for him to behave any differently, although he sometimes wished that Aaron would take things a little more calmly and talk about a situation in a rational way.

On arrival back home, the couple retired to their bedroom and Jackson undressed ready for bed. As he sat on the mattress, Jackson spoke, "I really enjoyed tonight, babe, thank you!"

Aaron, who had not yet taken his clothes off, looked at his boyfriend's naked body and smiled, "I've got another present for you!" he said, licking his lips provocatively. He put on some music and slowly peeled off his garments while gyrating to the rhythm of Lady Gaga's 'Poker Face'. Jackson giggled as Aaron performed his striptease, but he let out a gasp of admiration as Aaron whipped off his trousers to reveal a tight thong encasing a bulging package! The sight of Aaron's fit, near-naked body and impressive endowment immediately caused Jackson's own member to spring up!

Aaron crossed the room to his lover and Jackson reached out to caress the material of the g-string which Aaron was thrusting towards him. "Happy birthday, gorgeous!" Aaron laughed.

Without answering, Jackson lovingly removed the thong as Aaron bent down for a kiss, which held and deepened. Their love and trust in one another had grown over the two years of their relationship and they knew that they loved each other completely; beyond any doubt. Jackson moved to lick down Aaron's chest, delighting in the gasps escaping from Aaron's lips. It urged him to continue and use his tongue to tease Aaron. Aaron sought Jackson's manhood with his right hand and, finding the evidence of his extreme arousal; he fondled it gently which made Jackson moan with pleasure. Jackson continued using his mouth and tongue as he worked his way down Aaron's taut stomach to his now throbbing member. Aaron groaned as he felt Jackson's lips work their magic on him and, at that moment, the only feeling coursing through his body was one of total sexual energy. Jackson, his tongue still giving Aaron untold pleasure, let out a gasp as he felt Aaron's hand manipulating him. They were both giving and receiving enjoyment in equal measure, carrying each other away to a spectacular climax of love.

Later, in the afterglow of their lovemaking, they lay entwined on their bed, happy and contented. Jackson stroked Aaron's head and Aaron cuddled Jackson to him; they could not have been any closer if they tried.

"Thanks!" Jackson whispered.

"Was it OK for you?" Aaron asked; eager to please.

"It was awesome!" Jackson sighed. Aaron was everything to him; and the fact that he could share such intimate, passionate times with his boyfriend was just icing on the cake!

Jackson chuckled.

"What?" Aaron asked.

"I never thought you'd do that!"

"Do what?"

"The striptease; I thought you said you'd never do it!" Jackson smiled.

"No! I said I wouldn't do it in front of a load of pervy old men! You're my fella; that's different! You're the only one I'd do it for...I'd do anything for you!"

"You can be so loving and giving," Jackson stroked Aaron's arm, "but there is one thing you could do to please me...I wish you could talk to your mum, just to make it up with her. Can't you cut her a bit of slack?"

"Yeah, OK!"

Jackson looked at Aaron in amazement, "You're agreeing with me? Wow! It MUST be my birthday!"

"Oh, very funny!" Aaron grimaced, "Look, Jackson, you're always right...well, most of the time! I s'pose I should talk to her and clear the air! I can't go round banging doors forever!"

"I'm very proud of you, y'know!"

"Shut up!" Aaron looked embarrassed.

"No, I mean it. You can be stubborn, irritating, pig-headed, stupid..."

"Oi! I thought you said you were proud of me!"

"I'm coming to that! You've changed, babe; and for the better. You'll always be my surly little lad, but I'd like to think that you can make the right decisions when required. That's why I'm proud of you!"

Aaron kissed Jackson again; he knew that his boyfriend was right, as always; and he knew that Jackson loved him; unconditionally, "OK, tomorrow I'm going to have it out with mum. She does owe me an explanation, if nothing else!"

Jackson smiled; his boyfriend was coming to terms with the situation.

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Chas was in the back room of the Woolpack, preparing breakfast, when Aaron appeared. "Morning, love, can I get you anything!" she said, cheerily, trying to lighten the tense atmosphere which had developed between them.

"Can we talk?" Aaron said, tentatively.

"Yeah, 'course we can!" Chas motioned Aaron to sit on the sofa with her. "Listen, love, I'm sorry for springing Eden on you like that. I was hoping to set up a proper meeting but, when you appeared, I couldn't see the point in covering up who he is."

"But, you never told me I had a brother! How could you keep it a secret all this time?"

"He's your half-brother, actually. I'm his mum, but your father is not his father," Chas hesitated before continuing, "I didn't know that I was ever going to see him again...that's why I never mentioned him."

"But, it's important...that I've got a brother! I can't believe you never said anything!"

Chas wanted to get the whole thing off her chest, so she settled down for a lengthy explanation, "Many years ago, I had a fling with a bloke; Grant Butler was his name. I'd split up with your dad and fell pregnant with Grant's baby. Anyway, when he knew I was expecting, Grant didn't want any more to do with me; so he left me. So, there I was, a single mum with a new born baby! I was skint and didn't have anywhere to live. It was the hardest thing I've ever had to do, Aaron, but I gave the baby up for adoption. That baby, of course, was Eden. He's eighteen now and he wanted to trace his real mum. His foster mum died a little while ago and he found out where I was. Anyway, we had an emotional reunion and he's forgiven me for giving him up all those years ago. It's something I wasn't proud of, so I kept it a secret. I never thought he'd come back into my life, but I'm glad he found me. I just hope it doesn't change things between you and me!"

Aaron listened patiently to Chas' outpouring. He was quietly moved that she had opened her heart, but he was still hurt that she had kept a big part of her life hidden from him.

"Of course it changes things!" Aaron looked at his mother, almost as if he had never seen her before, "Until now I thought I could trust you and now...I don't know anymore!"

"You CAN trust me!" Chas was desperate to make it up with Aaron, "This is the only thing I've ever hidden from you...well; I've hidden it from everyone really. Surely you can see why?"

"What about Eden? He's another son you gave up on!" Aaron was not impressed.

"That's not fair! I know I've not been the best mother in the world; but I couldn't look after him back then. Anyway, I've never given up on you! I won't give up on Eden either; now he's back."

Aaron stood up and headed for the door, ne was still trying to get his head round the situation; "Jackson's waiting for me!" he said, brusquely.

Chas watched her son go. She wanted to say so much more but she knew that Aaron had heard enough for now. But she felt relieved that, at least, they had talked.

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Aaron was still upset about his mother's secret past and his unknown brother; he spoke to Jackson about it at length that night, as they sat propped up, naked, in bed together.

"Why don't you meet him...properly I mean?" Jackson asked.

"I don't know," Aaron sounded unsure of himself, "what would I say to him? He may be my brother, but I don't know him!"

"Well, that will come in time! Do you want to get to know him?"

Aaron mulled it over, part of him wished that things could go back to the way they were before Eden had appeared on the scene, yet, another part of him wanted to try to become close to a new family member, "Yeah, I s'pose so!" he said.

"I'll come with you, if you want," Jackson smiled warmly at Aaron, offering his support as always.

Aaron kissed Jackson.

"What was that for?" Jackson was still smiling.

"I don't know what I'd do without you," Aaron smiled back, "Anyway; do I need a reason to kiss my boyfriend?"

"No!" Jackson smirked, "In fact, you can do it again if you like!"

They kissed again and fell into a loving embrace.

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Monday morning arrived with monotonous regularity and Aaron sat eating a bowl of cornflakes in the back room of the Woolpack. Chas came into the room and saw her son sitting there.

"Morning!" she said, smiling at him warmly.

"Where does Eden live?" asked Aaron, not returning Chas' morning greeting.

"Why do you ask?"

"Well, I thought, as he is my brother, I ought to at least say 'hello'!"

This was music to Chas' ears! It seemed that Aaron was coming around to the idea of having a sibling!

"There's no need to go looking for him, he's coming round this evening! You two can have a quiet chat in here, if you want."

"Right!" Aaron gave his usual non-committal, monosyllabic answer; but Chas just wanted to hug her son at that moment! Maybe there was light at the end of the tunnel, after all!


	3. Chapter 3

Don't Look Back – Chapter 3

_-O-_

_DISCLAIMER: I am not connected to Emmerdale and its characters, which belong to ITV_

_-O-_

Aaron entered the back room of the Woolpack with so many mixed emotions. He was usually confident in most situations, but meeting a brother that he had never met before was totally out of his comfort zone! At least he had Jackson with him to lend him moral support.

Eden and Chas rose from the settee as the couple entered.

"Let's do this properly this time!" Chas grinned, "Eden, meet Aaron, your brother...and his boyfriend Jackson."

"Nice to meet you!" Eden smiled at the two of them, shaking hands with them in turn.

"I'll leave you to get acquainted," Chas decided to use her discretion, "I'll be in the bar if anyone wants me!" So saying, she exited the room, although she would have loved to have stayed and been a 'fly on the wall'!

Eden sat back down on the settee and Aaron sat next to him. Jackson perched on a chair at the table. He looked at the two brothers sizing each other up and felt as if he was about to referee a fight! However, he hoped that the meeting would remain convivial!

"Have you..." Eden said, just as Aaron said "So..." at exactly the same moment.

They looked at each other and Eden smiled, "Sorry!" he apologised, "You go first!"

Aaron cleared his throat, still unsure of what to say, then he spoke, "Do you live in Hotten?"

"Yeah, always have done," Eden was keen to strike up a conversation, so he continued, "My mum...that is my foster mum, had a house in Hotten Road. She died a few months back."

"I'm sorry!" Aaron said.

"She had cancer...heavy smoker! I was always telling her to quit but she wouldn't listen!" Eden looked sad; and Aaron was genuinely upset for his brother.

Eden looked at Jackson, "So how long have you two been going out together?"

"Just over two years," Jackson answered with a smile.

"Wow!" Eden exclaimed, "A long-term relationship! I wish I had a serious boyfriend!"

Aaron thought about stating the obvious; that Eden was gay too, but he decided against it, "So, you haven't met anyone special then?"

"No; not yet!"

There was an awkward silence; all three of them were searching for something else to say! Eden looked at the clock and Aaron noticed his glance at the time, "Have you got to be somewhere?" he asked, almost sounding sarcastic.

"No!" Eden answered, "I just want to know the time as I will need to get a bus back to Hotten."

"Don't worry about that," Jackson interjected, "we'll run you home later!"

"I don't want to put you to any trouble!" Eden said.

"No worries!" Jackson tried to put Eden at his ease and Aaron smiled; knowing that Jackson was doing it for his sake and he loved him for it.

Once the ice had been broken, they began to talk more freely and Aaron and Jackson spoke about their jobs. Eden was being evasive about his line of work, only admitting that he was involved in the 'entertainment industry'.

At the end of the evening, as promised, Aaron and Jackson gave Eden a lift home in Jackson's van. On the drive back, Jackson spoke, "Entertainment industry, that's a good one!"

"How do you mean?" Aaron did not understand what Jackson was referring to.

"Didn't you recognise him? That club we went to with Sol and Joey...he was the stripper we saw when we went in!"

"No way!" Aaron was genuinely shocked, "He couldn't have been!"

"Why couldn't he? He seems a bit coy about what he does for a living and I don't suppose it's something that he would readily admit to!"

"I can't believe it!" Aaron was deep in thought.

"I wonder if he's told your mum?" Jackson said.

"Well, if he wouldn't tell us, I don't suppose he'd tell her either!"

"Well, maybe the next time you meet, you could ask him."

"Oh yeah!" Aaron rolled his eyes, "I can see it now; 'Eden, do you strip off in a gay club by any chance?' That's gonna go down well, isn't it!"

"It was your first meeting," Jackson continued, "Maybe he'll open up a bit more when you meet again. Anyway, if it turned out he was that stripper; how would you feel about it?"

"I'm not sure, if I'm honest," Aaron said, thoughtfully, "I'm not keen on the idea!"

"Well, if it is him, he must have his reasons for doing it!"

"Maybe you're mistaken," Aaron was still not convinced that his brother and the stripper were the same person, "I can't see it somehow...Eden seems too, I dunno...nice!"

"You like him then?" Jackson hoped that Aaron would open up to him.

"Yeah! As he's my brother...I suppose I should like him!"

"It doesn't always follow! The world is full of siblings that don't get on together!"

Aaron mulled it over for a moment, "I expect you're right; but, he seems OK. Anyway, you know our family, at the end of the day, we all stick together."

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The next morning, Chas was bursting to find out how Aaron and Eden's meeting went. However, when Aaron came down the stairs and into the back room, she did not ask him straight out as she knew that Aaron would be likely to clam up under direct questioning. However, Aaron was no fool and he knew his mother well, so he decided to tease her a little.

"Aren't you going to ask me how it went?" Aaron said, a wry smile playing around his lips.

"No!" Chas tried to deny that she was interested, "It's none of my business...I didn't think you'd want to talk about it, anyway!"

"Come off it, I can see you're dying to poke your nose in!" Aaron was as cheeky as ever, "I was surprised you even left the room; you're not normally that discreet!"

Chas ignored Aaron's remark and decided to come clean, "OK! I'm desperate to find out!"

"I knew it! If you must know; yeah, we got on OK." Aaron wondered how much information his mother had collected about Eden, "Has he spoken to you about his job?"

"He said that he's a dancer; is that what he told you?"

"Not exactly!" Aaron was beginning to piece things together, "He said that he's in entertainment; so I s'pose that fits. Did he say what sort of dancing he does?"

"No, not really, I didn't think to ask!" Chas said, "Anyway, I thought I was supposed to be asking about your meeting, not the other way around! Are you going to meet up again?"

"Well, as he's my brother, I expect our paths will cross again!" Aaron replied, sarcastically.

Just then, Jackson appeared from upstairs.

"Oh, morning love," Chas smiled at her son's partner, "You're usually off out at the crack of dawn!"

"Good morning!" Jackson's smile lit up the room, "Not this morning; there's a hold up with a delivery of supplies so I'm going in a bit later. Hopefully, the materials I need will arrive at lunchtime."

"Aaron was telling me about your meeting with Eden last night," Chas said.

"Really?" Jackson raised his eyebrows in disbelief, "That doesn't sound like our Aaron!"

"Ha ha, very funny!" Aaron tutted.

"Has he told you about Eden's illustrious career?" Jackson said; but when he saw the quizzical look on Chas' face, he wished he had kept his mouth shut.

"What do you mean? He said he was a dancer," Chas replied.

Aaron looked at Jackson with an expression which indicated to him that he should not go any further with this subject.

"That's right, that's what I was talking about!" Jackson tried to backtrack, "What I meant was, he might be famous one day!"

"Yeah, I suppose he might if he's good at it!" Chas beamed with pride.

Aaron breathed a sigh of relief; his boyfriend had made a good recovery!

xxxxxxxxxx

The next day, Chas was serving behind the bar when Eden walked in.

"Hi, love, how are you?" Chas grinned at her youngest son.

"I'm fine, thanks!" Eden smiled back.

"I think Aaron's out the back, if you want to go through and say 'hello'."

"Yeah, OK."

"Did you two hit it off the other night?" Chas could not help herself; she was really hoping that her two boys were going to get along. She knew that Eden was gay, so she reasoned that they did at least have one thing in common! At first, she had been a little shocked that she had two gay sons, but she had quickly embraced it; just as she had readily accepted Aaron's sexuality when he first came out.

"I think so!" Eden said, "I like Aaron...and Jackson. I hope we can be buddies!"

Chas smiled as Eden walked through to the back of the pub; maybe things would pan out OK.

Aaron was sitting at the table, eating his tea.

"Hi Aaron!" Eden said, chirpily.

"Alright!" Aaron replied.

Without invitation, Eden perched on the sofa, "Busy day?" he asked.

"Nah. Not really," Aaron answered, "Things are a bit quiet, as it happens."

"Where's Jackson?"

"He's still at work! It might be quiet in the garage, but he's really busy with his building jobs," Aaron finished his meal just as Chas appeared with two glasses of beer.

"There you go," Chas said, setting the drinks down on the coffee table, "Can I get you anything else? Crisps? Nuts?"

"Not for me, I've just eaten!" replied Aaron.

"I'm OK, thanks!" Eden added.

Chas left them to it and Aaron and Eden sat side by side on the sofa. They could so easily have been just two lads meeting as friends, but, although they were not identical, there was a striking similarity. They had matching blue eyes and hair colour, plus similar physiques and mannerisms. A casual observer would have no difficulty in spotting that they were brothers. They sat in silence for a few moments, both still unsure of each other; there was still awkwardness between them.

Jackson's comments about Eden were still rattling around in Aaron's head. He did not feel comfortable in asking him straight out if he was a stripper, so he decided to make a joke of it to test Eden's reaction, "You'll never guess what Jackson said."

"What?"

"We went to a private club a couple of weeks back; two of Jackson's mates are members. Anyway, when we went in; there was a young lad pole-dancing in there; and, when Jackson met you, he said that you looked just like him!"

Eden blushed and looked at the floor; he looked very sheepish and Aaron knew then that Jackson's hunch was correct!

"It WAS you, wasn't it?" Aaron still did not quite believe it, even though the evidence was staring him in the face!

Eden continued to look down; not meeting Aaron's gaze, "Yeah! There's no point in denying it! I hope you don't think badly of me, Aaron. It's not something I wanted to do, but I needed the money!"

"I can't imagine anyone needing money enough to do that!" Aaron was trying to get his head around Eden's confession.

Eden plucked up the courage to look Aaron in the eye and he decided to explain, "I had to leave home and needed the money to rent a bed-sit. After my mum died, I couldn't live with my step-dad anymore; he moved in with my mum two years ago. He was a lot younger than her and sponged off her; mainly to buy drink. He was a bastard! He used to get drunk and lash out at me! He called me names when he knew I was gay, but, when he was tanked up on booze, that didn't stop him trying it on..." Eden hesitated, this was the first time that he had opened up to anyone about his private life.

Aaron started to piece things together. It dawned on him what Eden was referring to, "You don't mean he...?"

"I had to put a lock on my bedroom door!"

"Blimey!" Aaron looked shocked, "Did he ever..."

"Yeah," tears formed in Eden's blue eyes, "He raped me!"

"Oh my God!" Aaron gasped, "The dirty scumbag...why didn't your mum stop him?"

"I didn't tell her; she was too ill by this stage; I think that's partly why he did it! He wasn't able to get what he wanted from her and I was a substitute," Eden's tears were flowing freely now, "Sorry, you must think I'm a right soft git!"

Aaron looked totally stunned and he suddenly felt empathy for his younger brother; his own upbringing had not been without its problems, but it was a breeze compared with this! He felt privileged that Eden was unburdening himself to him and assumed that it was what brothers do; so he put a hand on Eden's shoulder, "It's OK!" he said, quietly.

Eden embraced Aaron and sobbed on his shoulder, all the hurt from his past came flooding out. At first, Aaron flinched at the close physical contact, but he realised that Eden needed comfort and he hugged him back, waiting for Eden's sobs to subside. In that moment, they became close; almost soul-mates. Aaron knew that he needed to be strong for Eden's sake and he also knew that it was something that he would do willingly; he wanted to protect his little brother and take his hurt away. After all that he had been through himself in the past, he understood Eden's pain perfectly.


	4. Chapter 4

Don't Look Back – Chapter 4

_-O-_

_DISCLAIMER: I am not connected to Emmerdale and its characters, which belong to ITV_

_-O-_

Jackson studied Aaron's face carefully; he was looking for clues regarding Aaron's frame of mind, but it was always difficult to read him.

"What?" Aaron said, innocently, when he noticed that he was being scrutinised.

"I just wondered why you've been so quiet since you met Eden earlier. Did it not go well?"

Aaron was torn. He wanted to tell Jackson everything; the secret that he now shared with his brother was gnawing away at him and he felt that he needed to 'offload' on someone and his boyfriend seemed the obvious choice. On the other hand, he felt that he would be betraying a confidence if he told Jackson about Eden's troubled past.

"You were right!" Aaron began, "He WAS the stripper at that club!"

"I knew it!" Jackson sounded as if he had won a prize in a competition, "So I suppose you went off on one and threw him out!"

"No!" Aaron defended himself, "He's my brother! I wouldn't do that! Especially after all he's been through..." Aaron suddenly cut himself short.

"Go on..." Jackson was now intrigued and looked straight at Aaron.

"I don't know if I should tell you this," Aaron knew now that he would have to tell Jackson, otherwise his boyfriend would keep digging, "Eden had a rough time with his step-dad. The bastard raped him!"

Jackson was shocked; this was the last thing that he had expected Aaron to say. He sat in stunned silence for a few moments, then spoke, "Oh my God! The poor lad!"

"Jackson, don't tell anyone. He hasn't told my mum about it, I don't think he's told anyone before and I shouldn't have said anything."

"Listen, babe, you know it won't go any further; I won't tell a soul. But, shouldn't he report it to the police? It is a criminal offence after all."

"I think he blames himself, somehow."

"That's ridiculous!" Jackson was still digesting the information, "Though they do say that the victim often feels the guilt instead of the attacker. But, I still think he should tell the authorities."

"Well, that's up to him; but I'll support him, whatever. After all; he's my little bro!"

Jackson felt a warm glow inside; he could see how much Aaron had grown up and the way he was handling the situation filled him with pride. He could see that Aaron felt a rapport with his sibling. He pulled Aaron to him and kissed his forehead.

"What do I do, Jackson?" Aaron knew that his partner would help him with his dilemma.

"Well, I suppose you'll have to go along with his wishes. All you can do is stand by him, like you are doing. I'm so pleased you've come to terms with it all; finding a brother you never knew you had and bonding with him."

Aaron looked at Jackson with so much love in his eyes. Here was his tower of strength; his rock; his confidant. He kissed Jackson warmly on the lips.

"Let's get to bed, I'm tired!" Aaron said.

xxxxxxxxxx

Chas was so proud of her two sons. She had been so fearful of their initial reaction to one and other but now they seemed to be as thick as thieves. However, she did not know the secret that they shared between them!

Aaron cajoled Eden into telling Chas about his ordeal at the hands of his step-father. Eden agreed, as long as his big brother would accompany him, which Aaron was only too happy to do, he knew how his support would help Eden. The three of them sat in the back room of the Woolpack and Eden fidgeted nervously, perched next to Chas on the sofa. Chas knew that he had important news to relate, but he seemed to be hesitant and worried. He looked at Aaron, who nodded at him and then jerked his head towards Chas; to indicate that he should tell her everything.

Chas listened carefully to Eden's story and could see how upset he was. When he started to cry, she cried too and she scooped him into her arms, "Oh, my poor baby!" she wailed, "I thought you'd be safe when I gave you up for adoption! I should have been there to protect you; I'm so sorry!"

"It's not your fault!" Eden gulped, recovering from his tearful outburst, "I had a good childhood; it was only when Burt Daniels came along that things changed."

"You've got to tell the police!" Chas dried her eyes, "You're not alone now. I'll help you; and Aaron will help you too, won't you love?" Chas looked at her eldest son.

"Yeah, 'course I will!" Aaron replied.

"But I don't know if they'll take me seriously! I should have gone to them just after it happened; won't they want to know why I didn't report it before?" Eden was still hesitant about going to the authorities.

"They will probably ask all sorts of questions," Chas reasoned, "but the important thing is to try to get justice!"

"Yeah," Aaron chipped in, "and if we don't, the Dingle clan can sort him out!"

"Dingle Law?" Chas looked a bit uncertain, "I don't see that Zak, Cain and the rest will be of much help, they'll probably make matters worse!"

"I might agree, if I knew what you were talking about!" Eden looked perplexed.

"Never mind! We'll see what the police have to say first!" Chas was determined that Eden should do the right thing.

"I'm worried what the police will say if they find out where I work!" Eden said.

"Why? Where do you work?" Chas enquired.

"It's a dive; a club where men go to watch strippers."

Chas looked shocked, "Oh...and what do you do there?" But, before Eden could answer, realisation dawned in her mind.

"Now do you see why I'm afraid the police won't take me seriously?"

Chas immediately jumped to Eden's defence, "So, you're a stripper! So what? That doesn't give anyone the right to do what this Daniels character did to you!"

"I was afraid to tell you what I did for a living! I can't believe you're taking it so calmly!"

"Listen, love, you're my son!" Chas tried to put Eden's mind at rest, "I love you; and nothing you can ever do will change that. We've all done things we're not proud of! I'm no saint myself! One thing I can promise you, both of you," Chas glanced at Aaron, "is that I'm on your side, no matter what!"

Eden put his arms out to Chas, who hugged and kissed him fondly.

"Anyway," Chas added almost as an afterthought, "You needn't do that anymore! I need a strong pair of arms behind the bar! You've got a job here, if you want it."

Eden was really moved by his mother's concern, "You don't have to do that; offering me a job just so I can give up stripping for a living!"

"I'm not doing it because of that, although I'm sure you'd like to give that up, wouldn't you?"

Eden nodded.

"Well, there we are then, I really do need another pair of hands on deck; in fact, Diane was about to advertise the vacancy; but I can tell her I've filled it now...what do you say?"

"Yes, please!" Eden beamed, he could not believe his luck, "I don't know a lot about bar work, though!"

"Well, you can learn, can't you? I'm sure if I can do it, you can!" Chas grinned; she was looking forward to having another 'Dingle' on board!

xxxxxxxxxx

"Jackson?" Aaron said, as he stripped off, ready for bed.

"What, babe?" Jackson took in the stunning sight of his now naked boyfriend as he climbed into bed beside him.

"You know that Declan's house is empty?"

"What, Dale Head, you mean? The one I did all that work on and then he never moved in!"

"Yeah, that's the place. The last tenants have moved out now. What do you think about renting it?"

Jackson was surprised; they had never talked about this before, "What; you mean you and me...live together?"

"Don't sound so shocked! We live together now, don't we? Except Dale Head would be a place of our own!"

Jackson was still mulling it over, "Well, it makes sense I suppose, but I didn't know you wanted to be more 'formal' about our relationship!"

"Don't YOU?" Aaron looked unsure of himself.

Jackson smiled, "Yeah, of course I do!" He leaned in to kiss Aaron and his boyfriend kissed him back.

"Actually," Aaron said, "I do have another reason for asking."

"So, it's not because you want us to live happily ever after then?"

"I wouldn't say that! We belong together, you and me; always have done," Aaron drew a breath before continuing, "It's just that I was going to ask my mum if Eden could move in here. If we move out, he can have our room! You should see his bed-sit, Jackson, a tiny room with a bed and cooker, paper peeling off the walls; I wouldn't keep a dog in those conditions!"

"I didn't know you'd been to his place?"

"Yeah I have, but it's horrible! I want to get him out of there as soon as possible!"

Jackson looked at Aaron in astonishment. He was putting his younger brother first and he was so proud of Aaron at that moment he felt that he would burst! "Awww, that's so sweet!"

"There's no need to take the piss!" Aaron misread Jackson's remark and thought that he was being sarcastic.

Jackson was eager to prove that he was being sincere, "I'm not! I mean it! You're doing all you can to help your brother; and I'll support you all the way! It's a really good thing you're doing, Aaron."

"So, we'll move into Dale Head then?"

"Yeah, I can't wait!" Jackson grinned like a Cheshire cat!

xxxxxxxxxx

Eden still seemed reluctant to go to the police about Burt Daniels. Aaron could not understand his reluctance, but he himself had never been a big fan of the law, so he guessed that his brother shared a similar mistrust in them. Chas kept nagging Aaron to try to convince Eden to report the rape, but Eden seemed to be dragging his feet and Aaron didn't push it; it was, after all, up to Eden to sort it out.

The day soon came for Aaron and Jackson to move into Dale Head. It was small, but it was their first home together so it held a special place in their hearts. Eden helped them to cart all their belongings into their new abode. Jackson loved the fact that they seemed to get on well together and he admired the way Aaron, in particular, had dealt with the situation. At last, Aaron had grown up and taken responsibility and Jackson could not have been any more proud of his boyfriend.

During their exertions, Jackson wanted to make a cup of tea and realised that they did not have any milk. Aaron offered to go to the shop and buy some, so he left Jackson and Eden alone in the house. Jackson was in the kitchen when Eden appeared in the doorway; he was wearing tight shorts and a skimpy top and, as he stood silhouetted against the light behind him, Jackson could not help but make comparisons with Aaron. They had the same build, the same features; and Jackson, for a split-second, thought that it was his boyfriend standing there.

"Is there anything else I can help with?" Eden said, aware that Jackson was looking at him intently.

"Actually, could you give me a hand with this?" Jackson indicated the washing machine which was stood in the middle of the floor, "It's a two-man job to get it under the worktop."

"Yeah, sure," Eden said, helpfully.

The two of them manhandled the equipment into place; and as they straightened up, they were standing in close proximity to each other and their faces were only inches apart. Jackson smiled at Eden; he was only being friendly, but Eden took it as a signal and lunged forward to give Jackson a kiss on the lips...just as Aaron walked in!


	5. Chapter 5

Don't Look Back – Chapter 5

_-O-_

_DISCLAIMER: I am not connected to Emmerdale and its characters, which belong to ITV._

_5__th__ April, 2012: as every 'Aarson' fan will know, the excellent actor, Danny Miller, is leaving the soap. I would like to thank both Danny Miller and Marc Silcock (Jackson) for playing the characters of Aaron and Jackson in such a brilliant way; they have entered our hearts and minds! My stories are a tribute to their talent and I wish both of them all the best; and good luck for the future._

_And now: the final chapter..._

_-O-_

"What the...!" Aaron nearly dropped the bottle of milk that he was carrying.

"Eden, what the hell do you think you're playing at?" Jackson jumped back from Eden and wiped his lips with the back of his hand.

Eden did not answer; he looked away from Jackson to a pair of blue eyes staring at him, identical to his own.

"That's what I'd like to know!" Aaron was livid.

"I'm sorry!" Eden said, "I just thought..."

"What? That you could make a pass at my boyfriend while I was out of the way?" Aaron looked ready to explode!

"I'd better go!" Eden made for the door.

"Yeah...DO ONE!" Aaron shouted.

After Eden hurried out, Aaron looked at Jackson, "So! What was going on?"

"He made a pass at me!" Jackson was still shocked, "It came out of nowhere! One minute, he was helping me move the washing machine and the next; he pounced on me!"

"You fancy him, don't ya!" Aaron looked hurt.

"NO!" Jackson protested, "He's a good-looking lad and all that, but I'm not interested. You know I've only got eyes for you!"

"Come off it! I've seen the way you look at him! I bet you WOULD have done it...if I hadn't come back when I did!"

"Aaron, listen babe! You know that I love you and would never do that to you! Yeah, I've looked at him; but only because I find it fascinating how much he reminds me of you! Why would I want a substitute when I've got the real deal?"

"I don't know if you're telling me the truth!" Aaron's old insecurities were threatening to resurface.

"Aaron! Don't let Eden spoil what we've got here!"

"What we've got?" Aaron still looked annoyed, "Trust; that's what I thought we'd got, now I don't know. Maybe it was a mistake; moving in together!"

Aaron put the milk down and turned to leave.

"Where are you going?" Jackson asked.

"Out!" was Aaron's curt reply as he walked out of the door.

"Aaron!" Jackson wished his boyfriend would stay and talk, but he knew that Aaron would need his own space for a while.

xxxxxxxxxx

Chas had noticed that Aaron and Eden seemed to be giving each other a wide berth and she wondered if something had happened between them; but she knew that neither of her sons were going to open up to her unless they wanted to, so she decided to be patient and wait until they felt like telling her what the problem was.

Aaron was in the back room of the Woolpack when Eden happened to walk in. Eden said nothing, but looked like a rabbit caught in the headlights! Aaron sneered; his new-found affection for his brother had completely vanished and he felt, once again, that he had been let down by a family member.

"Oi you!" Aaron shouted as Eden turned to leave, "Keep away from Jackson, do you hear?"

Eden regained his composure after his unexpected encounter with Aaron and he decided to fight back, "I can't help it if your boyfriend fancies the pants off me!"

Aaron snapped, "You what? Why would he fancy you when he's got me? You're just a low-life little stripper who sells his body to dirty old men!"

"It's not like that!" Eden defended himself, "I'm not a whore! I don't take money from guys to let them sleep with me!"

"I don't believe you! You're nothing but a skanky little tramp! I bet your step-father didn't rape you! Was he like all the others? Pay you to get it up you, did he?"

"No, Aaron!" Eden protested, "He raped me! I told you!"

"Why should I believe anything you say? You won't go to the police about it; that's because there's nothing to tell, I bet!"

Eden's tears started again, but Aaron was unmoved this time.

"Don't start with your crocodile tears, either!" Aaron shouted, "You've lied your way into my mum's life...and mine!"

Suddenly, Chas appeared, "What's going on? It sounds like world war three out here?"

"Ask him!" Aaron pointed the finger at his younger brother.

Eden was weeping and Chas moved to comfort him, "Don't, Aaron, can't you see he's upset?"

"Yeah, he can turn on the waterworks when it suits! He's a liar!" Aaron stormed out.

"Aaron, come back here!" Chas shouted after her eldest son, but she knew that she was wasting her time.

Chas tried to calm Eden down, "What was all that about?"

Eden was thinking on his feet; he wanted to keep his mother on his side, "Aaron's upset because he found out that Jackson fancies me!"

"What?"

"Yeah!" Eden lied through his teeth, "He made a pass at me at their house!"

Chas could not believe it; Jackson and Aaron seemed so solid, "That's not like Jackson," she said.

"Maybe you don't know him as well as you think you do!" Eden replied and, when Chas wasn't looking, a smirk appeared on his face.

xxxxxxxxxx

Aaron turned up at Dale Head, looking the worse for wear. It was several hours since he had caught Eden kissing Jackson. After his subsequent row with Eden at the Woolpack, he had gone for a long walk. He was not sure where he had been; he had ignored all the fields and woods that he had traipsed through on the way; his mind had been racing and his only thought had been his relationship with Jackson. He had calmed down now and realised that Jackson would never cheat on him; it was not in his nature to be devious!

Jackson was relieved when Aaron finally appeared, he smiled when he first saw him and spoke, "I was hoping you'd be home soon; I'm making us some supper!"

Aaron was slightly taken aback; Jackson seemed to be acting as if nothing had happened! "Supper?" he said, open-mouthed.

"Yeah! I didn't want to cook anything until I knew you were ready!"

Aaron guessed that Jackson was attempting to shrug off the incident with Eden, but it was still replaying in his head, "It's no use ignoring what happened earlier!"

"I know!" Jackson realised that they would have to talk about it; it had become the 'elephant in the room', "But there's really nothing else to say; it was one kiss and Eden instigated it. I didn't want it! Mind you, even your mother thinks I'm a two-timing scumbag!"

"My mother? What's she got to do with it?"

"Chas came round earlier. Seems Eden has been telling tales to her; making out that I came on to him! She gave me a right mouthful! I protested my innocence but she seems to be siding with your toe-rag of a brother!"

"Yeah!" Aaron said wistfully, "She does seem to be under his spell! All he has to do is go crying to mummy and she cuddles him and tells him everything will be alright!"

"It really was him that made a pass at me, you know," Jackson was still uncertain whether Aaron believed him, "I really do love you, you know; and I always will. I don't want some little cock-tease like him to split us up," he looked at Aaron apologetically, "Sorry, I know he's your brother, but he's trouble with a capital T."

"Yeah!" Aaron had done a lot of thinking and the scales had fallen from his eyes, "I know!"

Jackson sensed that Aaron was coming round to his way of thinking and crossed the room to give Aaron a hug, "I'm not interested in Eden, or anyone else! You're the only one for me!"

Aaron looked into Jackson's big brown eyes...eyes that confirmed their honesty and loyalty. He realised that his jealousy was misplaced and he kissed Jackson.

"Your lips are the only ones I want to feel on mine!" Jackson breathed a sigh of relief as he held his forehead against Aaron's; he knew now that his boyfriend still trusted him.

"It's late," Aaron said softly as he took Jackson's hand, "let's get to bed!"

xxxxxxxxxx

Days later, Aaron and Jackson had put the incident with Eden behind them and had settled back into a stable routine. They were happy in Dale Head; having their own space to do whatever they pleased. Aaron steered clear of the Woolpack though, he did not want to bump into Eden and, because she was still siding with him, he did not want to talk to his mother either. Chas had tried to make contact and had even got Paddy to call round on her behalf, but all to no avail. However Paddy, at least, did appear to believe Aaron and Jackson's version of events.

The following Tuesday, Aaron arrived home from the garage to find Jackson already there.

"You're home early!" Aaron said as he kissed his boyfriend in greeting.

"Aaron, I've got some bad news!" Jackson looked upset.

Aaron sat next to him on the sofa and put a comforting arm around his shoulders, "What's up, babe?"

"The construction company I was working for have gone bust! I'm out of a job! I don't know how we'll be able to afford the rent on this place...not with just your wages coming in!"

"You'll soon find something else," Aaron tried to reassure his partner; "builders are usually in big demand!"

"That's just it!" Jackson replied, "There's a lot of unemployed construction workers out there at the moment. It could take a while to find more work!"

Just then the phone rang and Jackson answered it, "Hi Mum! Yeah, I'm fine...yes, Aaron's fine too."

Aaron signalled to Jackson, indicating that he was heading for the shower and left his boyfriend to have a conversation with Hazel in private.

Half an hour later, a spruced-up Aaron appeared downstairs and saw Jackson preparing tea in the kitchen. He walked up behind his lover and put his arms around his waist from behind.

"What's for tea?" Aaron enquired.

"Egg salad," Jackson replied.

"On a health kick, are we?" Aaron chuckled, "What, no chips?"

Jackson rolled his eyes skyward and Aaron knew the face he was pulling; without even being able to see!

"Anyway," Aaron continued, "How was Hazel?"

"You'll never guess what! She's getting married...to a Spanish bloke!"

"So, she's met someone out in Spain then?" Aaron sounded surprised.

"Yeah!" Jackson twisted around in Aaron's arms to face him, "and you won't believe this; he runs a construction business out there! I told mum that I'm redundant and she said this Carlos, that's her fella's name, will give me a job out there! What do you think?"

Aaron was stunned; he had never in a million years expected this announcement, "Spain? You can't go to Spain!"

"Why not?"

"I don't want us to split up! I'd never see you!"

"You'd come with me, wouldn't you?"

"But, my job's here! I can't go, can I?"

"Well," Jackson continued, "you can have a job in Spain, if you want it. Carlos' brother owns a car dealership out there and he's looking for a mechanic!"

"But I don't speak Spanish!"

"You wouldn't need to!" Jackson was trying hard to sell the idea to Aaron, "Most of the customers in the garage are ex-pats; there's virtually a whole community of them where my mum lives. She said there's always room for English speaking people and you can just about speak English!" Jackson was being his usual sarcastic self.

"Oi, you!" Aaron playfully punched Jackson's arm.

"Come on, it will be a fresh start for both of us!"

"But, where will we live?" Aaron was thinking of all the practicalities.

"My mum and Carlos have plenty of spare room at their villa and she said we're welcome to stay as long as we like! She wants us to go to the wedding anyway!"

Aaron had run out of excuses not to go. He thought about the situation with Eden and his mother; he did not have a reason to stay in the village now and it tipped the balance for him, "OK, let's do it!" he said.

"Really? Are you sure?" Jackson was amazed that Aaron had decided so quickly.

"I just said, didn't I?" Aaron replied, cheekily.

Jackson kissed Aaron passionately; he loved the very bones of him.

xxxxxxxxxx

A couple of weeks later, on their last night in Emmerdale village, Aaron and Jackson said their goodbyes to family and friends in the Woolpack. Jackson virtually had to drag Aaron to the pub but, fortunately, Eden was not in attendance that evening and Chas had the evening off, so she was not behind the bar. She did, however, appear at one point and asked Aaron to go with her into the back room for a quiet chat.

They sat on the settee, side by side, neither of them knowing what to say. Then, Chas broke the silence, "I'm sorry you're going! I'm really going to miss you!"

"You haven't seen me for ages!" Aaron had lost none of his sarcasm.

"I know, but I did always know that you were in the village! Listen love, I want you to know that Eden has admitted that Jackson wasn't at fault and it was him that made the pass at Jackson. I'm sorry; I should have believed you."

"So, have you told him to pack his bags?" Aaron asked, hopefully.

"No! I can't do that! I told him off, good and proper, but he made a mistake and, God knows, I've made a few of them myself in my time! Come to that, so have you!"

"Fair point!" Aaron conceded, "But I still don't trust him, I'm sorry!"

"I hope you'll understand that I can't give up on my son, not again! I won't give up on either of you...I'm always here for you, you know that, don't you!"

"Just watch him; that's all I'm saying. Come here!" Aaron embraced his mother.

"You take care of yourself, yeah?" Chas wiped away a tear.

"I've got Jackson to do that!" Aaron replied.

"Yeah! He's a good'un! You want to hold on to him!"

"I will!" Aaron said with a smile, as he headed out of the door.

Jackson was talking to Paddy and Adam when Aaron reappeared in the bar.

"I've got something to tell you!" Aaron addressed Jackson.

"What?" Jackson asked.

"Eden admitted to my mum that it was him that came on to you! She told me to tell you that she's sorry!"

"I'm glad you've made your peace with her," Jackson smiled lovingly at his boyfriend, "I'd hate for you to part on bad terms!"

Aaron smiled, he had a shot at a new life; and with the man he loved by his side...who could ask for more?


End file.
